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What happens with Metformin if you don't eat, anything?

Traijan

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi,
So, finally got my A1C test and it showed diabetes, (not so high, but apparently it's been going on in my body for years now since the neuropathy in my feet has been going on for at least 3 to 5 years and both doctors attribute it to the diabetes), anyway...

I've been cruising around the forums reading different topics and I stumbled upon one topic where somebody felt wobbly and said they'd not eaten a full meal in a while, which got me thinking... What happens if you take Metformin but don't eat regularly? Is that going to end up using up too much sugar in my blood and make me feel light headed or wobbly?

I generally eat one time a day, (trying to keep it between 6 and 7:30 pm instead of my old routine of 10 to 11pm supper) and I have absolutely no interest in breakfast, or lunch for that matter and have eaten like this for most of my adult life. I used to think it strange that I stay the same weight with only eating once a day but then learned from a nutritionist that I need to eat at least 5 times a day to loose weight so I tried it and indeed I lost a lot of weight but I soon went back to just eating once a day as I just don't really enjoy eating and the weight eventually came back on.

Anyway, the doctor is putting me on Janumet XR 50-1,000 MG tablets to try to get my Diabetes under control, but if I don't eat regularly will it matter at all? It won't end up making me wobbly or crash out during the day if I don't eat regularly will it?

Thanks
 
I think metformin taken without can cause a big bs drop although my doc insists its not possible. I was put on two 850mg met twice a day last year & did not eat breakfast, took my metformin and went shopping two hours later, it was very hot day, i started sweating so bad, running down my head, felt drunk, thirsty and made my way to my car, drove home in five minutes, took my bs 3.4 wow my first unknown hypo.
Since that time i stopped taking metformin many times for short periods due to getting bad chest and back pains but past two months im taking one 500mg SR met a day with two 40mg gliclazide which do cause hypos.
So i would be very careful, you might even get the trots as i did with metformin so keep up your fluids, if you dont fancy a meal just try a small snack is my advice but i only had diabetes type 2 for three years.
 
I have taken metformin many times without food hasn't had any effect on me at all.
 
3.4 is still in the normal range, but you had a false hypo by the sound of it.
it is possible through very low calorie intake diet to hypo with metformin, but it isn't very common..google side effects..
metformin builds up in the system, I haven't found a dose does anything to my BG how I take it
 
I think you should eat regular meals,if only a little,or your liver will think you are starving and dump glucose and put your BS up.
Metformin without food could upset your stomach.
Welcome to the forum,lots of advice here.
 
I have never taken Metformin, so have no personal experience, but it is also my understanding Metformin work on a cumulative basis, rather than a per dose, so doubt it would likely lead to too may hypos. I understand It is recommended Metformin is taken with food, to minimise digestive upset, so I might be inclined to suggest that's more of a risk than hypo - particularly early on. It is also worth noting that Metformin, whilst a safe and useful drug, isn't a silver bullet, miracle for diabetes. It will only impact gently on your bloods. Far greater impact comes from what you eat, and to a lesser extent, any exercise you can take.

Another comment would be more generally on your once a day, evening eating. You say you lost lots of weight eating regularly, then put it all back on when you reverted to eating once in the evenings. Maybe that suggests that whilst you might prefer it, it's not how your body functions best?

Similarly, from that comment, do I read that ideally you would drop a few pounds? If that's the case, you know you can drop weight when you eat regularly,Mao might be worth reverting to that way.

What do you like to eat, and what changes do you understand you will need to make to impact on your diabetes?
 
Sarah69 said:
I have taken metformin many times without food hasn't had any effect on me at all.
Click to expand...

@Sarah69

I've done and taken Metformin without food and been okay yet this morning I took Metformin and didn't have any breakfast & then got a hypo (had a small bowl of porrige & blueberries asap).. Recovering now..
 
I take my metformin at 6am and again at 7pm with or without food. Sometimes in the evening its 9 o clock before Im having my tea. I have been fine. You should however eat regular meals even if they are small snacks otherwise your body will do regular liver dumps throughout the day. So your BG will be all over the show.
 
I am like you and do not eat breakfast in the morning or lunch and just once at 6pm. I take 1000mg in the morning and 1000mg at night and I have had no ill effects in the morning
it is not possible to have a hypo on metformin, you DR is correct
 
Even at maximum dose of 2gm, metformin should only lower your BGL by 1 point. Taken without food can only upset your stomach. If you only have 1 meal a day, take your metformin with that.
 

Janumet is a combination tablet, containing both Metformin and Sitagliptin. Metformin, by itself, is not thought to produce hypoglycaemia. Sitagliptin is different and could produce hypos, particularly in combination with metformin and missed meals. A new patient would normally be started on the 50mg/500mg tablet. Possibly in your case, only once per day.
 
Pilgrim22 said:
Even at maximum dose of 2gm, metformin should only lower your BGL by 1 point. Taken without food can only upset your stomach. If you only have 1 meal a day, take your metformin with that.
Click to expand...
Hi, I was recently taken into hospital by ambulance suffering from what turned out to be urinary sepsis! I had been unable to keep anything down for a couple of days before being admitted and therefore had none of my meds in my system by then. (btw I am t2 well controlled on 1000mg metformin twice a day, 1x 50mg sitagliptin per day and 120mg gliclazide twice a day. Have been t2 for 3 and a half years). What is puzzling me is that they stopped my statin and my metformin whilst I was in hospital, but no-one told me if I should start taking them again??? I found that without the metformin, my BG was staying higher than it usually is. I started taking them again and straight away got the upset tummy big time! But I also found I was getting at least one hypo per day! (i was getting at least one a day before I was ill). If metformin can't cause hypo's, why did I start getting them again when I resumed taking metformin??? Any ideas??? I have not started taking the statins again.
 

Am I the only one to think that the correct response to a possible hypo (including feeling drunk) was not to rush to the car and drive home as quickly as possible?

Presumably a learning experience, after which a testing kit and some fast acting glucose source was always carried?
 
It is plain silly not to have at least 3 meals in a day!
Why not consult with a Dietitian at your Hospital who will work out a suitable diet for you.
 
Sarah69 said:
I have taken metformin many times without food hasn't had any effect on me at all.
Click to expand...
Same here

I fast on a regular basis and always take my metformin as usual and nothing happens.
 
I'm not sure how true it is to say you can't get a hypo on metformin.

When i was first diagnosed as t2 some 15yrs ago, i was on Metformin, glicazide, and pioglitizin (or something like that)
One morning on holiday, i didn't feel great so skipped breakfast, but took meds. then a bunch of us went on a hike.
About half an hour into it i started feeling dizzy, sweating,etc, so had to stop, we were in the middle of nature park. Luckily someone knew there was a village not too far away, and someone got me a can of coke.
It was a lesson well learnt, and i carry glucose tablets everywhere now.
 
@TrevorFisher, it is possible to hypo whilst on metformin but it is very rare. In your case, I'd be pretty sure it was the gliclazide that made you go low.
 
I took Metformin for like 9 yrs and all of a sudden I got Kidney failure. It was determined it came from Metformin. I stopped taking metformin and my kidneys began to work again. Be careful of this drug as the Docs do not inform you of its dangers. Parmacist knew, but doc did not let me know
 
Cosmo what symptoms did you have to indicate kidney problems are they sure it was from metformin? What are you taking now if I may ask.
I have been on it exactly 9 years 1500 mg in my urine test indicated trace protein so a bit worried now
 
It may be rare to have a hypo on metformin only but non the less I've managed it on three occasions.
 
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